[IxDA Discuss] Cognitive load question

[Simon Asselbergs]

read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magical_Number_Seven%2C_Plus_or_Minus_Two

It's debatable ofcourse, but it is quite useful.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert Hoekman, Jr." <rhoekmanjr at gmail.com>
> To: discuss at ixda.org
> Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Cognitive load question
> Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 11:13:43 -0700
> 
> 
> [Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]
> 
> I want to make sure I'm understanding cognitive load correctly, and I'm
> hoping someone here can verify whether or not I'm on the right track.
> 
> Here's my understanding:
> 
> The elements that make up an interface all contribute to the cognitive load
> users must wade through when using an application for the first time, and
> any time something in the application changes (eg: the addition of a new
> feature that takes a prominent position in the interface).
> 
> Cognitive load theory says that the learning process is most effective when
> the load on short-term memory is reduced to facilitate the transfer of
> information to long-term memory. In short, it's much easier to process and
> retain only one or two new pieces of information at a time than it is to
> process ten. When we view a Web page for the first time, we have to process
> every piece of information on it to decide what's relevant to what we are
> trying to accomplish. When a page is cluttered up with all sorts of
> unnecessary items, short-term memory is hit hard. There's a lot to see and
> learn and process. When we finally manage to pick out the important pieces,
> we have very little remaining capacity to transfer that information into
> long-term memory.
> 
> How far off am I with this explanation? Can someone please correct anything
> I've misstated here?
> 
> Thanks very much ...
> 
> -r-
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>




Groetjes,

Simon


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